Covid-19 Customer FAQs

1st May 2020

During the Coronavirus pandemic we’re focussed on maintaining an ongoing level of service and support for you (our customers). With staff now working from home, we may take longer to respond than usual, but we do have plans in place to try and reduce the impact. We’ve answered some frequently asked questions below.

Contacting us

As a result of Covid-19 our customer service teams are now working from home. Therefore, we ask you to manage your account through My Opus Energy if you can, or contact us via contactus@opusenergy.com. If you’d like to register for an online account, visit https://www.opusenergy.com/moe/.

Payment questions

Is there an impact on bill payments?

If you don’t pay via Direct Debit or My Opus Energy you may need to allow more time for processing of the payment. This is due to a slower service than usual.

Can I have a payment holiday or defer payments?

We understand this is a worrying time for our customers, and want to do what we can to support you. We would encourage all of our customers experiencing financial hardship to talk to us about the options available to them at this time, whether that be a payment holiday or reduced payment. Please email early.arrears@opusenergy.com with your account details and request. You can also visit the Government website or Business Debtline to explore the help available to small and medium businesses.

Please continue to provide meter reads if it’s safe for you to do so, in line with government guidance. This will allow us to bill you for your actual energy usage rather than an estimate. These can be sent by:

Sending an SMS: Text “Start” to 07723494043 and follow the instructions.

Metering and smart meter questions

What should I do about meter readings?

Your business may be using less energy than usual. Regular meter reads will mean bills are as accurate as possible and you don’t pay more than you need to.
If you don’t have a Smart, AMR or Half Hourly (HH) meter, please provide us with regular meter readings. Please only do so if it’s safe for you to in line with Government instructions.

If you do have one of these meters, good news, you don’t need to send us meter reads. Smart, AMR and HH meters send us readings automatically.

You can send us meter reads by any of these 3 options:

Sending an SMS: Text “Start” to 07723494043 and follow the instructions.

In line with government instructions, we’re enforcing social distancing to minimise the spread of COVID-19. As such, we’re postponing all non-essential metering services and site visits for our customers.

What if I have an open complaint regarding a metering appointment?

Your complaint will not be closed. As soon as we are able and it is safe to conduct visit sites, we will be in contact.

What if there’s a metering emergency or my business is an essential service?

The safety and wellbeing of our teams, our customers and everyone connected to our company remains our priority. During this difficult time, we’re ensuring that we support vulnerable domestic end-users and essential businesses as much as possible. The following are examples of scenarios where we believe metering services are essential:

Health & safety issues due to metering.

Meter issues that are affecting the continuation of supply for vulnerable customers or essential businesses i.e. supermarkets and hospitals.

This link details businesses that are considered “essential services” under government guidelines. If your business is an essential service (as per Government guidelines) or there’s an emergency (as per the list of essential services above), please let us know via metering@opusenergy.com

How is COVID-19 affecting the smart rollout?

As a result of Covid-19, we’re pausing all smart installations until mid-June, at which time we will review the situation. We’ve also cancelled all appointments for meter exchanges during this period and until further notice, we’re not scheduling any new appointments. We’ve contacted all affected customers by phone, letter or e-mail.

If you would like to register your interest in a smart meter, you can still do this by filling out this form.

General questions

What does Coronavirus mean for security of electricity supply?

The Electricity Systems Operation (ESO) in the UK has issued a statement that they have well developed procedures in place to manage the affect of a pandemic (such as Covid-19). At this time, we are confident in our ability to provide electricity to our customers. We are well prepared and well supported by the Government, Ofgem and our stakeholders.

What do I do if my business has a power outage or I can smell gas?

If you have an issue with your electricity supply due to a loss of power, please contact your local Distribution Network Operator by calling 105. If you can smell gas, please urgently dial 0800 111999.